This was what I was expecting to hear about before the Holiday Weekend...glad it was officially submitted, well done...i'd say it adequately represents our frustration and hope all in one succinct, well written, package
Out of 6 pages I did manage to type up the first and last pages of Baltia's Letter to U.S. Department of Transportation & Federal Aviation Administration
Administrator U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration 800 Independence Ave. SW Washington D.C. 20591
Dear Mr. Huerta:
Baltia Air Lines, a new U.S. Airlines based at JFK is undergoing Part 121 Air Carrier Certification. Baltia has been in Certification for over three years, a process that prior to the new certification system took around a year. I am writing to request your support in expediting our certification. The issues raised in this letter cannot be resolved at the FSDO or the AFS 900 levels alone.
A new airline is important to the industry and to the economy, and will provide hundreds of new jobs in the New York area. Airline certification should be an efficient high priority process. We have not experienced efficiency or priority.
There is an urgent need to allocate the necessary resources to the New York Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) for the completion of our certification.
There is also a need to eliminate the procedural quagmire within the Air Carrier Certification process, which restricts interaction between our staff and the FAA certification team. Matters that could be settled with a phone call currently take months.
Much time has been spent unproductively just waiting, and millions of dollars have been spent to sustain the process. There is a lack of consideration for our time and capital. Our B747 is sitting idle after heavy maintenance. We have been able to stay the course financially because we own our aircraft and we are fortunate to have a dedicated staff and an investor base committed to our success. This cannot go on indefinitely.
While there can always be improvement to our systems, we believe our system meets a high standard of readiness for certification. For your reference, I have enclosed a CD with our complete submission as uploaded on the FAA's system.
In conclusion, we request that adequate resources be afforded to the New York FSDO, which would allow Inspectors who are familiar with our certification to be returned. We look forward to a productive working relationship with the goal of completing FAA certification as soon as possible.
From everyone at Baltia, I thank you for your support and consideration, and hope to hear from your office very soon.
Sincerely,
Igor Dmitrowsky President & CEO
cc:
Mr. Carmine Gallo Administrator Eastern Regional Federal Aviation Administration Eastern Region Jamaica, NY
Mr. Mark Mazor Manager Certification and Evaluation Program Office Federal Aviation Administration Dulles, VA
Mr. John Krepp Manager New York FSDO Garden City, NY